The present invention relates to a wound dressing and a wound dressing kit suitable for medical treatment of a wound such as a burn, a decubitus, a contusion, an excoriation and an ulcer.
It has recently been found that a wet environment on a wound surface has a great influence on the wound healing. Particularly, components contained in the exudate from the wound site assist in promoting the wound healing. Based on this point of view, methods have been employed for medical treatment of a wound, in which the wound is not disinfected so as to maintain a wet environment provided by the exudate from the wound, as opposed to medical treatment of a wound by drying the wound surface. For such a medical treatment method, various types of wound dressings (hereinafter referred to simply as “dressings”) have been developed.
In order to effectively perform such a wound healing method, a dressing is required to have the following functions and effects.
(i) To adequately hold the exudate, thereby preserving an adequate wet environment of the wound surface.
(ii) To adequately discharge the exudate from the wound, thereby preventing the wound surface from being pressed by the exudate and preventing “undermining” due to excessive exudate (an phenomenon in which the skin of the wound site is dug by the pressure from the exudate).
(iii) To prevent the dressing from being completely stuck on the wound surface.
(iv) To prevent the exudate from leaking to the outside through the dressing.
(v) To allow the dressing to be cut into a piece of any size and shape as intended according to the size and shape of the wound surface.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-205825 (1)and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-80020 (2) each disclose a dressing using a porous film that includes a hydrophilic substance dispersed therein or that is covered with a hydrophilic substance.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 8-196613 (3) and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-276571 (4) each disclose a dressing using a sponge layer containing N-succinyl-chitosan therein and a reinforcing material (e.g., a non-woven fabric).
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-151184 (5) discloses a dressing in which a chitin-chitosan cellulose mixed fiber is used on the wound surface.
The first patent document: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 06-205625 (abstract)
The second patent document: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 07-080020 (0010 and 0011 paragraphs)
The third patent document: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 08-196613 (abstract)
The fourth patent document: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-276571 (abstract)
The fifth patent document: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-151184 (abstract)